Toddler reunited with parents after crawling through White House fence

It may be the first successful intrusion onto the complex since the White House fence was doubled in height.

Toddler reunited with parents after crawling through White House fence in Washington DC iStock

A toddler has earned the title of one of the tiniest White House intruders after he squeezed through the metal fencing on the north side of the executive mansion.

US Secret Service Uniformed Division officers, who are responsible for security at the White House, walked across the North Lawn to retrieve the child and reunite him with his parents on Pennsylvania Avenue on Tuesday.

Access to the complex was briefly restricted while officers helped the child. Officers briefly questioned the parents before allowing them to continue on their way.

It may be the first successful intrusion onto the complex since the White House fence was doubled in height to roughly 13ft (3.96m) in recent years after a series of security breaches. While taller, the new fence has an additional inch of space between pickets, for a total of 5.5in (12.7cm) between posts.

Older children have sometimes become stuck in the barrier, which has also been the scene of demonstrations, with protesters chaining themselves to the fence.

The Secret Service did not immediately comment on the incident.

STV News is now on WhatsApp

Get all the latest news from around the country

Follow STV News
Follow STV News on WhatsApp

Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

WhatsApp channel QR Code